NJ's Samudhra Lands First Manhattan Spot at Hell's Kitchen's Fully Leased Ellery Tower

A New Jersey restaurant known for unlimited lunch thalis and spice-infused cocktails is making its first jump into Manhattan. Samudhra, the Indian restaurant and lounge based in Franklin Park, has signed a lease for about 10,000 square feet at The Ellery, the luxury residential tower at 312 W. 43rd St. that leased out its entire 330-unit building in under a year.

The deal was first reported by New York Post columnist Steve Cuozzo, who covers the commercial real estate beat for the paper. Samudhra will occupy space on the building's West 43rd Street side, according to the report, giving the brand its first Manhattan address after building a following in the New Jersey suburbs. The restaurant was represented in the deal by Brad Schwarz of Lee & Associates, while The Ellery was represented by CBRE's Lon Rubackin, Michael Kadosh, and Bevan Cohen, per the same account.

The Ellery itself is a 33-story tower developed by Taconic Partners and National Real Estate Advisors, rising above West 42nd Street with amenities that include a rooftop pool and fitness center. The developers had wanted a major eatery in the project, and Samudhra's arrival fills that goal on a block that already houses Aldi, which opened its first Midtown store at the base of the tower in June.

A Fast Fill-Up for a New Hell's Kitchen Tower

The building's residential success set the stage for its retail ambitions. The Ellery rented all 330 of its apartments within 11 months, according to the Post's report, a pace that reflects broader momentum described by New York YIMBY, which reported leasing launched in the summer of 2024 and reached full occupancy by May 2025 with initial rents starting at $4,100 a month.

The site has a long institutional history that predates the tower entirely. The property once served as the headquarters for the 1199SEIU Health Care Workers Union before Taconic Partners and National Real Estate Advisors took control of the land in 2018 through a 99-year ground lease, according to The Real Deal. The outlet also reported that the developers secured $204 million in construction financing from Union Labor Life Insurance Company in November 2021 to build what would become the 350,000-square-foot complex.

Designed for Wellness, Anchored by Retail

Architecturally, the building was designed by Handel Architects with a 32-story main tower connected to a seven-story low-rise annex by a 10,000-square-foot central outdoor garden courtyard, as detailed by Commercial Observer's coverage of the project's design plan. That layout was meant to project a residential wellness concept meant to stand apart from the surrounding Midtown streetscape.

The retail podium beneath the residences totals roughly 41,500 to 42,000 square feet of ground and cellar space, with 160 feet of block-through frontage spanning West 42nd and West 43rd Streets, according to Off The MRKT, which also noted 18-foot ceiling heights on the ground floor. Aldi's 25,000-square-foot lease, signed in August 2025 and opened as the chain's first central Midtown Manhattan flagship this past June, took up a large share of that footprint, as reported by Mass Market Retailers. The German discount grocer's arrival gives the block a mix of high-volume, budget-friendly retail alongside Samudhra's planned lounge concept.

Manhattan ground-floor retail asking rents averaged $670 per square foot in the second quarter of 2025 as leasing activity rebounded across Midtown corridors, per a CBRE market report cited by Commercial Observer. That backdrop underscores the scale of the commitment both Aldi and Samudhra made in choosing the corridor.

From Franklin Park to Midtown

Samudhra's roots trace back to August 2019, when it was established in Franklin Park, New Jersey, by Mangesh Chinthamaneni, a former information technology entrepreneur who transitioned into hospitality to open an upscale Indian venue, according to Fennelly Associates. The original location built its reputation on a cocktail menu infused with traditional Indian spices and daily unlimited lunch thalis spanning South and North Indian dishes, as described by New Jersey Monthly.

The kitchen has long leaned on South Indian culinary specialist Swarna Latha, who joined as sous chef in 2019 after a decade running Edison's Coriander Restaurant and building a regional packaged food brand, according to information from Samudhra itself. That combination of an ambitious beverage program and elaborate lunch offerings is part of what made the suburban restaurant a destination worth a drive from New York.

George Tsapelas said the vision is to create a dynamic mixed-use destination that contributes to the area's energy, adding that Samudhra strengthens the property's retail and dining mix. Whether the brand's suburban dress-code and lounge sensibility translates to the fast pace of Midtown foot traffic, sharing a block with a budget grocery anchor, remains to be seen as the restaurant prepares to open its doors on West 43rd Street.